Nobody's Child
by Eleven Eleven
Summary: I am not who I thought I was...who am I? (updated at long last)
1. Prologue

A/N. This little story just crept up out of nowhere last night, while I was supposed to be doing homework! It was not beta-read, so I apologise for any errors. So, here it is. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer- (n.) a voluntary repudiation of a person's legal claim to something. Well, as you all know, I have no legal claims on anything whatsoever except for this story itself. However, legal proceedings will ensue should anyone try to rob me of the aforementioned story. Ha, ha.  
  
Prologue  
  
Home. To some, it was a place of sanctuary. To me, it was hell. No one on the outside looking in could have ever guessed the misery and torment I endured. Everyone always looked at me and imagined I had the same perfect home life as my school life. Girls envied me because of my blonde hair, blue eyes and looks. Boys sought the chance to date me. I was one of the most popular students at Kingsport High, co-captain of the senior cheerleading squad and an EMT. I got good grades in my classes and according to my teachers, had a great future ahead of me. I couldn't have been happier. However, school and home were two completely different lives. Unlike school, I ceased to exist when I stepped through the threshold of my home.  
  
My dad was always working. He was a corporate manager of a computer company. He left early in the morning and came home late at night so I rarely saw him, and when I did, it was ruined by the foreboding presence of my mom. My mother was not my idea of a perfect mom. She was often blunt and tactless in speech, particularly with me. At six years of age, I was informed by her that the reason I never saw my father was because he didn't love me. I remember standing in front of her, crying bitterly until she slapped me sharply on the cheek and told me to shut up. My dad knew nothing about the incident. I hadn't been forbidden to tell him, but I had no desire to test the full wrath of my mother. I grew up sensing that my mom was never satisfied with what she saw in me. No matter how hard I tried to be who she wanted me to be, I would never become that person. In her eyes, there was no use even trying.  
  
My tenth birthday was one of the happiest in my memory. My mom was unusually nice to me and my dad came home in time to help celebrate. I remember his exact words as he enveloped me in a hug.  
  
"I love you, sweetheart. Don't you ever forget that."  
  
I was overwhelmed with happiness and all my doubts of my father's love for me were banished. The party wore on and as the summer twilight started to fade, I blew out my ten candles. It was then that I received the most exciting present, and it came in the form of my mother. Beaming out at the group, she informed everyone that she was going to have a baby. Amidst the squeals and cheers that followed this announcement, I got lost in my own reverie. A baby brother or sister! It was almost like someone had granted my lifelong wish. One of my dad's friends, my Uncle Hank, bent down and lifted me up.  
  
"So, Steph, how does it feel to know you're soon going to become a big sister?"  
  
I smiled back at him and he set me down and moved off towards my parents. From where I stood I could hear him talking clearly, waving his champagne glass around.  
  
"Well, well, well. Congratulations, Tyler."  
  
"Thanks, man. Can I get you a refill?"  
  
My father took the glasses inside the house, leaving my mother standing with Hank.  
  
"And to you, too. Congratulations."  
  
My mom nodded her head slightly as Uncle Hank continued.  
  
"You must be happy."  
  
This time my mother stretched her lips slightly upwards, in what was intended to be a smile, but instead appeared as a sneer.  
  
"Of course."  
  
At this point, my mother moved away to a group of friends, who immediately engulfed her in a cloud of chatter.  
  
"Heather! This is so exciting!"  
  
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?"  
  
"I only found out today myself!"  
  
"Just think. Your first baby!"  
  
They all squealed together, but I had suddenly become deaf to the noise. At that moment, I suddenly experienced a feeling no child should ever feel: I felt lost and confused. I somehow didn't belong. Who was I?  
  
A/N. Did it suck as badly as I thought it did when I was rereading it? I can continue if you'd like to find out more. I have stuff planned for more chapters, or I can leave it there and we'll call it finished. How about I give you three options, OK?  
  
a) This story's SO interesting and captivating, and I'd LOVE to find out more! Please continue to write as much as you want!  
  
b) This story's pretty cool. It has an interesting plot and it's basically something to read if you're bored! Seeing as this is the prologue, write more.  
  
c) This story SUCKS! You are the WORST author this site has ever seen and your stories are CRAP! For the sake of fan fiction, STOP WRITING!  
  
So people, it's all up to you. Oh, and for those of you who are on the verge of choosing option c), please consider the fact that the story does get better! *smiles hopefully* OK? 


	2. Stephanie

A/N. Hi, I'm back! Sorry for confusing you all with my author's note on the Prologue. It came out OK on Word but obviously not when I uploaded it onto here. Anyway, it's fixed, so you should all understand it now. People have asked me to continue and I take it that you're interested in my little tale here. Yes? Anyway, once again, it was not beta read because my email wasn't working, and consequently, MM, you do not get this chapter first. Sorry! Anyway, I decided to take a risk and post it anyway, so please excuse grammatical errors and anything else you find disputable! I have taken care to Americanize the grammar, but seeing as I am not American, I probably didn't do that too well. Anyway, although this chapter and the Prologue were told by the point of view of Steph, this will not always be the case. OK, read, enjoy, and review!  
  
Disclaimer- I own Steph and Naomi. That is all.  
  
Stephanie  
  
Stephanie Heather Connell. That was me. I was named after my mom's mother, meaning my grandmother. My middle name was my mother's first name. And my surname was my father's. Every part of me belonged to someone else, or so it seemed. I'd been Stephanie Heather Connell since birth. But things have a habit of changing when you least expect them to. It was only a few months ago when my life was turned upside down, but it seems like a whole lifetime. It started with a phone call, one ordinary day, the spring before my eighteenth birthday...  
  
I walked up the front steps and opened the front door softly. I didn't know why I felt compelled to do that simple task quietly, but I did. Soft drafts of conversation drifted out from the kitchen.  
  
"Mom? I'm home."  
  
I walked towards the room, expecting no answer. As usual, I got none. In the kitchen, seated at the table were my mother and 7-year-old sister, Naomi. Even in her school dress, it was clear that she would grow up to look just like our mother. I, on the other hand, looked nothing like my mom. Naomi waved at me from over the top of her milk glass, and I smiled and waved back.  
  
"Hi, Steph," she called out gleefully.  
  
I opened my mouth to reply but was beaten by my mom.  
  
"Hush, sweetie. Drink up and don't talk."  
  
She was of course, addressing Naomi, choosing not to acknowledge my presence. She then stood up from the table and walked to the sink, turning her back against the doorway, acting so well that for a moment, I felt as if I were really invisible. I bit my tongue and entered the kitchen.  
  
There was nothing unusual about the way my mother was acting. It had been this way for as long as I could remember, and before Naomi was born, I had been naïve enough to believe that my mother was cold and distant in nature. The birth of my sister had challenged those beliefs, as a new side of my mom, one I had never laid eyes upon, emerged. The new Heather was warm and gentle and caring, as she nursed my new sibling or rocked her to sleep. I had experienced jealousy as never felt before as I sat quietly, out of sight, listening to my mother sing Naomi to sleep, something I had never been privileged enough to hear. It was then that I realized, with a dull aching stab at my heart, that my mother was only her detached self when she was around me.  
  
I seated myself at the table and reached for an apple. Naomi pushed a glass of juice towards me and I smiled again. It was sometimes hard to believe that she was only seven. She possessed a disposition of someone much older and wiser, and I knew she understood that there was some sort of tension between our mom and myself. It sounds wacky, but Naomi seemed to know when and how to diffuse a situation and after a particularly bad dispute with my mother, she would creep up to me and offer me her sympathy in the form of a hug. Naomi was a good kid.  
  
"You got a phone call."  
  
Naomi grinned at me as she took a sip of her milk, leaving behind a white moustache, and took another bite of the cookie she grasped in her hand.  
  
"From Caitie!"  
  
"Naomi, don't talk with your mouth full," my mother chided gently.  
  
"Aunt Caitie called?"  
  
The apple, having travelled halfway to my mouth, was returned to the table, forgotten. Naomi nodded happily.  
  
"She said to-"  
  
"Sweetie, could you get the newspaper for me?"  
  
"But I have to tell Ste-"  
  
"Not now. Go get the newspaper."  
  
My mom turned back to the sink again leaving Naomi pouting into her glass. I glanced questioningly at my sister. She shrugged and went off to fetch the item. I hesitated and wondered how to phrase my question.  
  
"Did Aunt Caitie want something?"  
  
My mother stayed silent.  
  
"Should I call her back?"  
  
Still I got no response.  
  
"I'll just give her a ring."  
  
I stood up and made my way to the door. My mom turned around and I noticed she was wearing a pained expression on her face, yet it looked like she was trying to control it.  
  
"Mom, are you OK?"  
  
"Whatever you do, don't drag Naomi into it. Leave her alone."  
  
Her voice sounded tight, like she was concealing an abundance of emotions within her.  
  
"What?"  
  
"That's all I'm asking of you."  
  
She stared unseeingly at me before walking out of the room. I felt puzzled. What did my mother mean by that? A soft flutter and a small cry of annoyance sounded in the hall before Naomi appeared at the door, clutching a dishevelled newspaper, its individual pages falling out.  
  
"Where's mom?"  
  
I took the chaotic papers from her hand and placed them onto the hall table.  
  
"I don't know. What did Aunt Caitie say when she called?"  
  
"She wanted to speak to you, but you weren't home yet. So, I told her you'd ring back. Do you think she's coming to visit?"  
  
Naomi looked up at me hopefully.  
  
"Maybe. I better go call her."  
  
I walked upstairs wondering what my aunt could possibly want. She'd already paid her monthly visit about a week ago. I entered my bedroom, scooped my phone off my desk and collapsed on my bed, dialling her number.  
  
Caitie wasn't even our real aunt, but she'd known my parents in high school and had known me since I was born, so that's what we called her. She and her husband, Jamie, another high school comrade of my parents, had moved away from Kingsport shortly after my parents were married. They visited often and for as long as I could remember Caitie had always been my second mother and one of my best friends.  
  
Caitie was officially my godmother, but sometimes, I would secretly think of her as my real mom. As Naomi declared, she was our 'favoritest aunt' and needless to say, we loved her. The only downside to her visits was the fact that she and my mother didn't seem to get along too well and the house became extremely tense at times. But, I looked upon it as a small price to pay in return for a healthy dose of Caitie.  
  
The phone was picked up on the third ring.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Aunt Caitie? It's Steph."  
  
"Hi! I just called today, but you weren't home."  
  
"Yeah, I know. Is everything OK?"  
  
"Fine, everything's fine. I just wanted to tell you about something."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Jamie and I are coming back to Kingsport for an indefinite amount of time."  
  
"Really? That's great! Where are you staying?"  
  
"That's the problem. We're going to need a place to stay."  
  
"You could stay with us! Like you always do!"  
  
"I was thinking that too, but Jamie's not too sure. You see, Steph, we don't know how long we'll be staying for, so...well, your mom, she-, she might not like this idea."  
  
"Oh, please, please, please! You have to stay here! I'll talk to her. Please, Naomi would love for you to stay. And dad wouldn't mind either!"  
  
Caitie laughed.  
  
"Speaking of your dad, could you get him to call me when he gets the chance. And then, I'll bring up this whole issue and maybe with his help, your mom won't say too much about it. How about that?"  
  
"OK! That's great!"  
  
"Alright, then. That's settled, for now anyway. I better get going."  
  
"OK. I'll speak to you soon."  
  
"You have my number. Bye, honey."  
  
"Bye, Cait."  
  
I hung up and leaned back on my pillows. Suddenly, life was looking better than it had ever looked before. With my aunt and uncle living here, there was no way I would feel like an invisible nobody in my own home. Who cared if my mother wouldn't talk to me? With Caitie in the house, I'd be free from the ice wall I was slapped with everyday of my life. The mother, or in this case, mother figure I'd always wanted was coming very soon.  
  
A/N. What'd ya think? Want me to:  
  
a) End it soon  
  
Or  
  
b) Continue on my course  
  
You decide the fate of this story. Should it claim another chapter, it will be told from Caitie's POV. Btw, according to the Chris Ralph site and the forums, In A Heartbeat is coming back on Disney sometime soon, at 4am. It's a pretty stupid time schedule, but at least you people get to watch it. I'm stranded in Australia with no IaHB! I can give you specific dates and such if you want. Just email me, or mention it in your review and leave me some means of contacting you. Speaking of reviews...Ahem. 


	3. Caitie

A/N. Been a long while since I came back to this story, and all of a sudden, I'm re-inspired by it! Too bad hardly anyone comes around this place anymore. :( Is this section just dead now?! Well, I'll still be writing my stories even if no one reads them. I'm still way too obsessed with IaHB to just let them go.  
  
Disclaimer- I could probably say I own them, and no one would notice, seeing as no one's around. Hm, let's see...I own Jamie!!!  
  
Caitie  
  
Stupid. That's what I was. Why was I even doing this? Planning to live with Heather when everyone knew we couldn't stand each other?! Staying with my parents sounded like a picnic compared to the likes of 'Queen Bitch' Stillmore!  
  
But then again, I didn't think my parents had ever fully forgiven me for moving away and getting married. It wasn't that they disapproved of the person I married. Oh no, they adored Jamie! It was just the fact that they never attended our wedding, due to the fact that they never knew. I never meant to not tell them and it wasn't like an elopement, because Jamie's parents had been there. It just kinda happened and before I knew it, I was Mrs. James Waite without my parents' knowledge. The funny thing about it was, I felt relieved that they hadn't been in attendance. We had never been close, my parents and I, and it wouldn't have felt right, having them there.  
  
I replaced the phone on the kitchen bench and moved into the living room. The rocking chair creaked slightly as I sat down. It had been a gift from Jamie's parents when they found out I was pregnant. Sadly, it had never been used for its intended purpose, and now served as, what Jamie liked to call, my 'thinking chair'.  
  
Jamie. He'd always been supportive of whatever I did, ever since we met back in high school. Through the highs and lows of being married, the miscarriage and my short career as a writer, he'd always been there for me. I didn't know what I'd do without him.  
  
Life these days, was pretty simple, considering we were the renowned Goth and rebel with social issues, back in high school. These days, the dim and dark clothing was gone, and I preferred not to wear my makeup so heavily. Jamie still owned his leather jacket, and simply refused to part with this cherished possession, no matter how many times I commented upon the ratty and dishevelled state it was in. Deep down, I was glad he didn't throw it away. He'd worn it all through high school and college, and although I didn't want to admit at the time, the familiarity of that jacket, and its owner, had kept me stable through the turmoil that presented itself in those years.  
  
I sighed. It had almost been eighteen years. I was fast approaching 38 years old, and yet, the pain still gave a dull thump at my heart every time I dwelled upon it for too long, reminding me that it was still there. Whoever said 'Time heals all wounds' forgot to mention how much time. Obviously, almost two decades wasn't enough.  
  
Sometimes, when I got to thinking about life, which was often, I'd drift off into a weird reverie, filled with awful memories, all the details and things I wished I could forget but never could. I'd torture myself, by letting the thoughts wash over me, taking over my mind and filling me with so much regret, sadness and hatred, I could scream.  
  
So much time had passed, yet I still missed her. Knowing what could've been, only made it worse. She was my best friend, the sister of my soul, the one who had been there from the beginning, the complete opposite of me, and whose friendship had meant so much.  
  
"Caitie?"  
  
Someone was rattling the door handle, and I realized that Jamie was home. Once again, I'd whiled away the day, lost in my own thoughts.  
  
I stood up and met my husband as he walked through the door.  
  
"Hey," he greeted me with a kiss. "How was your day?"  
  
"How was yours?" I asked him back, avoiding his question.  
  
"The same as always," he replied, tossing his keys onto the bench. "I went in, I sat down, I did some paperwork, I came home."  
  
I managed a smile as Jamie pulled me down on the couch next to him.  
  
"So, you never answered my question," he murmured softly. "What's wrong?"  
  
One of the best and also most annoying things about Jamie was that he knew me inside out. I could never hide anything from him; he always saw through whatever mask I wore. And when cornered by him, I found the best way to respond, was to be blunt.  
  
"We're staying at Tyler's," I said flatly.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked me, obviously confused.  
  
"Well, we're gonna need a place to stay when we go back to Kingsport..." I trailed off as he caught on to what I was saying.  
  
"We're staying with Heather?" he raised his eyebrows at me.  
  
"And Tyler and Steph and Naomi!" I countered defensively.  
  
"We're staying with Heather?" he asked again.  
  
"So what?"  
  
"Nothing," he said, looked away amusedly. "Just...Heather and you. It's funny, that's all."  
  
"OK, so we don't get along that well," I snapped slightly.  
  
"Don't get along?" Jamie raised his eyebrows again. "Need I remind you of last Christmas?"  
  
I inwardly winced at the memory. Somehow, I'd lost control of my temper during a vicious spat with Heather, and I'd ended up lobbing her precious turkey stuffing somewhere at her head. Needless to say, we'd left. I was just sorry I'd ruined Christmas for the girls and Tyler. I wasn't sorry that I'd ruined the traditional Stillmore Almond Turkey Stuffing, though. According to Naomi, it tasted horrible.  
  
"Yeah well, at least it's not Christmas," I said after awhile. "No stuffing to throw at anyone."  
  
Jamie leant back on the couch and closed his eyes for a while.  
  
"Jamie?" I asked cautiously, after a minute or so. "Do you...not wanna stay with them?"  
  
My husband opened his eyes.  
  
"Is there a reason that you wanted to stay at Tyler's?" he asked me suddenly.  
  
"We always stay with them," I replied simply, not quite catching his eye.  
  
"Any other reason?" he pressed on.  
  
I sighed out loud, knowing that he'd already caught on to what I was thinking.  
  
"Caitie, no," Jamie said firmly, tilting my chin slightly so that I was looking at him.  
  
Turning my head in annoyance, I stood up and glared at him.  
  
"Why? Why can't I tell her the truth?"  
  
"You know why!" he said in exasperation. "If Tyler hasn't told her yet, there has to be a reason, and we have no right to just march in there and ruin her life!"  
  
"She's turning 18! She will be an adult, Jamie, an adult! She has the right to know about everything! It shouldn't have been kept from her for so long, and the sooner she realises that bitch isn't-"  
  
Jamie stood up and grabbed both my hands in his.  
  
"Caitie, calm down," he said quietly, and to my complete and utter surprise, I started to lose it.  
  
Before the first tear even had a chance to run down my cheek, he'd already gathered me into a tight hug, like he'd anticipated this whole thing coming. Leaning gratefully into his arms, I tried to regain a hold of myself, but ended up snivelling pathetically, burying my face into his chest. Why I was crying, I wasn't exactly sure, but I needed to stop. Pushing him away slightly, I quickly ran my hands over my eyes, wiping away any trace of moisture.  
  
"Caitie?" he asked softly, sighing slightly when I refused to turn around.  
  
"She has the right to know!" I whispered fiercely, not trusting myself to speak any louder.  
  
"You're right," came Jamie's voice, and I turned in surprise. "But we don't have the right to tell her."  
  
"Someone has to!" I argued. "If Tyler never tells her, she'll go on living this, this lie that she's been brought up on all her life-"  
  
"Tyler will tell her," Jamie said, cutting me off again. "In his own time. When he feels the time is right, he'll tell her."  
  
"Yeah, when he feels like taking a day off from work, then he'll tell her," I stated bitterly.  
  
"Caitie, I want you to promise me something."  
  
I stared at Jamie. "You can't me make me promise not to tell her."  
  
"Listen," he said, holding up one hand. "Promise me that you won't bring anything up about this, while we're staying with them."  
  
I looked at Jamie, then at the floor, and then back up at Jamie. His pleading brown eyes almost made me give in without argument.  
  
"Caitie?"  
  
Almost. But not quite.  
  
"OK," I answered slowly. "So long as no one brings it up."  
  
"Caitie..." Jamie frowned at me.  
  
"Look, if no one says anything, I won't say anything," I explained in what I hoped was a reasonable tone. "But if it does come up, I can't promise you that I won't open my mouth."  
  
"Can I ask you to consult with me before you open your mouth, should this situation arise?" he asked wryly, a hint of a smile on his face.  
  
"What's there to consult?" I asked. "You'll just try to talk me out of it."  
  
"OK, fine," he said, with an air of finality. "Now, promise me."  
  
"I promise, I won't breathe a word of it," I sighed, making a face. "If no one else does. Happy?"  
  
Jamie grinned and headed off towards the kitchen.  
  
"What do you want for dinner?" he called back at me.  
  
A/N. I do adore J/C...they are definitely cute as a couple. You know what's funny? J/C = Jamie/Caitie...Jackie/Chris...hehehe. :)  
  
Real Disclaimer- Sadly, I don't own Jamie, and I had to write this, in case the highly unlikely happens, because me no want no legal trouble! 


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